Clutch control mechanism



y 5, 1936. R. s. TROTT CLUTCH CONTROL MECHANISM Original. Filed Nov. 10,1931 Invenfar Mow-n Patented li/lay 5, 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Application November 10, 1931, Serial No. 574,173 Renewed August3, 1935 I 8 Claims. (01. 180-64) This invention relates to controlmountings for the mounting bracket 3, surrounding and conengines havingtorque and force cushioning centric with the universal joint I, to whichis movements with respect to the support upon connected the propellershaft 5. Between the which they are mounted and more particularlymounting bracket 3 and the transmission and to clutch control apparatusfor such an engine clutch housing 2 is clamped the plate 3'. 5' unit; itis a continuation in part of my applica- The bracket 3 forms the innertrack of a roller tion for patent on Engine mountings, filed on hearinghaving rollers 6 and outer track I. The November 24, 1928, Serial No.321,634, now Patplate 3' acts to retain the rollers 6. ent No.1,890,871, granted December 13, 1932. The flanged support ring 9,provided with the 10 The object of this invention is to provide clutchflanged support pins l0, receives the outer track 10 control mechanismmounted upon the frame of I, but may be made integral therewith if deavehicle whose power plant has pivotal and sired. orbital movements withrespect to the frame. The frame brackets ll, properly attached to I ac ph s Obje t by providing a mountthe frame cross member II, are eachprovided 11 8 f r he cl h P l p the frame an y with a cap 13, securedthereto by the bolts l4, 1

35 In Figure 1, the engine! has the transmission power plant.

providing a connection between the clutch pedal and thereby forming anapertured end for the and the clutch shaft of the power plant, whichbracket.

will accommodate for the movements of the power The flanged support pinsI 0 are surrounded by plant with respect to the frame substantially thecushion members l5, composed of proper without effecting any variationin the position of cushioning material such as rubber, and sup-.-

the said clutch shaft relative to the power plant. ported in the framebrackets ll.

This construction is fully explained below and is It will be seen thatthis method of mounting illustrated in the drawing in which:- the rearend of the power plant, permits tor- Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan viewand parsional action of the power plant with respect to tial section ofa vehicle having apower plant unit the frame, and because of the freemovement 25 with open propeller shaft, semi-elliptic front provided bythe roller bearing mounting, the springs, a roller bearing mounted inrubber for torsional movement of the power plant can im-- the support ofthe rear of thepower plant upon part no vibration to the frame l8 thatis due the frame, and my clutch control construction. to torquereaction.

3 Figure 2 is a fragmentary detail view and par- The cushion supplied bythe members l5 per-. tial section of the clutch and pedal shafts andmits slight distortions of the power plant with connections. respect tothe frame without strain, noise, or Figure 3 is a vlew in perspective ofthe conshock, and will tend to absorbany vibration due struction shownin FIgureZ. to lack of perfection in the construction of the and clutchhousing 2 integral therewith, forming It will be noted that try slightendwise moveunit D D The rear d of e p w ment of the engine unit due toaction of the plant is mounted upon the frame cross member spring II,will be permitted by the rubber of the 12 so arranged as to havecushioned pivotal move: rear mounting, or even by slight endwise move-40 vment with respect to the frame, whereby the rear ment of the rollersin their outer track. 40 of the power P n may not only pivot about a Theengine unit mounting described above is longitudinal axis but may, underthe action of more particularly described and claimed in my engineforces, float in an orbit due to the rubber Patent No. 1,890,871,granted December 13, 1932. mounting. The front end of the pflw Plant isThe clutch within the clutch andtransmission 4 mounted p a M Sp n thfront housing 2 is the usual friction clutch which serves axle 18 of thevehicle as shown, such mounting to connect the engine crankshaft withthe transpermitting and resilientlylimiting the transverse, mission. Theclutch ordinarily employed in aumovements of the front end of the engineas well tomobiles is of the disk typ held engaged by as the pivotalmovements of the "engine as a spring means but disengaged by a footpedal. whole withrespect to the frame. The engine The clutch pedal 25 isconnected to the clutch 50 bracket 20 and the rubber cushion 23, whichshaft 26 of the power plant by the shaft 8. and is mounted on theframeaact to resiliently limit the two flexible discs II; The shaft llhas at the relative movements of the front of the engine each end across arm 82, the two cross arms beunit and the frame. ing angularlyspaced at 90 'from' each other. The

To the-rear end r the power plant is attached clutch pedal has thecrossarm a and the clutch a iL-i shafthas the cross arm 84. The crossarms of the shaft/60 are angularly spaced from the cross arms of theclutch pedal and of the clutch shaft 26 respectively by 90. The discs 8|areto be made of steel, leather, fabric or any proper natural orsyntheticmaterial, which will give the desired degree of flexibility andpermit slight variation of the distance between the cross arm 83 of thepedal 25 and the cross arm 84 of the shaft 26.

The shaft 85 is mounted in the bracket '86 and secured therein by thepin 8! or in any other proper manner. The bracket #6 is properly mountedupon the frame l6. The pedal 25 is journaled upon the shaft 85, where itis held in place by the nut 88; or the pedal 25 may be pivotally mountedand secured upon the frame it in any other proper manner and by anyother proper construction so long as it is free to be operated as apedal.

Thus, as the pedal 25 is depressed, the clutch shaft 26 will be operatedto release the clutch just as certainly as if the pedal 25 were mounteddirectly upon the shaft 26.

But it will be seen that pivotal, orbital, vertical, horizontal orendwise movements of the power plant! with respect to the frame I 6 mayoccur within reasonable limits without undue strain upon the clutchcontrol mechanism and without materially changing the angular positionof the clutch shaft 26 relative to the power plant.

The flexible connection between the clutch pedal 25 and clutch shaft 26provides for dis engagement of the clutch withoutapplyingendwise'pressure on the engine unit. This is important where the engineunit is mounted on resilient supports that are yieldable longitudinallyof the engine unit. If endwise pressure is appl ed to the engine unit inreleasing the clutch, it results in a chatter and vibration in thedriver's operation of the clutch that is very objectionable. When theengine pulls, it tends to slip the clutch. If the engine can slip theclutch by moving forward, there will be a tendency for forward movement.If the engine moves forward, it is the same relatively as if the clutchpedal were permitted to move backward slightly. If this takes place ateach engine explosion, it would be the-same in effect' as rapid back andforth movement of the clutch pedal, and results in chattering of theclutch. In this invention the clutch releasing pressure is transmittedfrom the frame to the engine unit by a twisting motion so when theclutch is being engaged and the engine unit is 0s cillating, there is noendwise thrust or movement of the engine unit and the clutch will engageand disengage without chatter.

. Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is as follows:

'1. In a motor vehicle having an engine unit and a frame structure,means mounting the engine unit in the frame structure for oscillatorymovement relative thereto, a clutch shaft mounted on the engine unit formovement therewith relative to the frame, said shaft having a pair ofarms, a clutch pedal member pivotally mounted on the frame structure,and having a pair of arms, and means including non-metallic flexiblemeans connecting the arms of the clutch shaft and clutch pedal together.

2. In a vehicle including a frame and an internal combustion engine unithaving a clutch and yieldably mounted on the frame for oscillatorymovement relative thereto, control apparatus for said clutch including ashaft rotatably mounted on the engine unit, .a lever fixed to the outerend flexible means connecting the levers of the clutchshaft and thepedal together and connected to each lever on opposite sides of therespective axes of the clutch-shaft and pedal whereby oscillatorymovement of the engine unit is permitted.

3. In a vehicle including a frame and an internal combustion engine unithaving a clutch and yieldably mounted on the frame for oscillatorymovement relative thereto, control apparatus for said clutch including ashaft rotatably mounted on the engine unit, a lever fixed to the outerend of the shaft and extending onopposite sides of the axis thereof, aclutch pedal having a lever rigid therewith and extending onrespectively opposite sides of its axis of rotation, means pivotallymounting said pedal on the frame and holding said pedal immovabletransversely relative to the frame, and flexible means connecting thelevers of the clutch shaft and the pedal together and connected to eachlever on opposite sides of the respective axes of the clutch-shaft andpedal, whereby oscillatory movement of the engine unit is permittedwithout transmitting vibration to the clutch pedal.

4. In a motor vehicle having a frame structure, the combination of anengine unit having a tumable clutch operating means movable bodily withthe engine unit, means mounting said engine unit on the vehicle foroscillatory movement relative to the frame structure, a clutchdisengaging member, means pivotally mounting said member on the framestructure, and means connecting said clutch disengaging member with theclutch movable transversely relative to the frame, and

operating means comprising a transversely disposed torque transmittingmember, the ends of which have universal connections with the clutchdisengaging member and clutch operating means respectively, at least oneof said connections being flexible in a direction longitudinally of thethe combination of an engine unit having a rotatable clutch operatingmeans movable bodily with the engine unit, means mounting said engineunit on the vehicle for oscillatory movement relative to theframestructure, a clutch disengaging member, means pivotally mountingsaid member on the frame structure, and means connecting said clutchdisengaging member with the clutch operating means comprising atransversely disposed torque transmitting member universally andflexibly connected at its ends to the clutch disengaging member andclutch operating means respectively, said end connections 'beingflexible in a direction longitudinally of the torque transmittingmember, whereby the engine unit may oscillate relative to the framestructure and whereby the clutch operating means isactuated by theclutch disengaging member without applying endwise pressure to theengine unit.

6. In a motor vehicle having a frame structure, the combination of anengine unit having a turnable clutch operating means movable bodily withthe engine unit,- means mounting said engine unitwith movements of, theframe structure; and a transversely disposed rock-shaft the ends ,ofwhich are universally connected to the clutch "pedal and clutchoperating means respectively,

and at least one of said end connections bein flexible in a directionlongitudinally of said rockshai't permitting oscillatory movement of theengine unit relative to the frame structure, and whereby the clutchoperating means is actuated by the clutch pedal without applying endwisepressure to the engine unit.

7. In a motor vehicle having a frame structure, the combination of anengine unit having a turnable clutch operating member movable bodilywith the engine unit, means mounting said engine unit on the vehicle foroscillatory movement relative to the frame structure, a clutchdisengaging member, means pivotally mounting said clutch disengagingmember on the frame structure, ,and means connecting said clutchdisengaging member with the clutch operating member comprising atransversely disposed torque transmitting mem- -ber the en'ds of which'have universal connections with the clutch disengaging member andclutch operating member respectively, at least one of said universalconnections being of such construction that the members connectedtogether thereby lnay have relative movement in a directionlongitudinally of the torque transmitting member, whereby the clutchoperating member is actuated by the clutch disengaging member, andwhereby the engine unit may oscillate relative to the frame structure.

8. In a motor vehicle having a frame structure, the combination of anengine unit mounted in the vehiclefor oscillatory movement relative tothe frame structure and having a clutch operating member movable bodilywith the engine unit, a clutch disengaging member pivotally mounted onthe frame structure, and means connecting said clutch disengaging memberwith the clutch operating member comprising a transversely disposedtorque transmitting member, the

ends of which have connections with the clutch disengaging member, andthe clutch operating member respectively, said connections permittinguniversal movement of both ends of said torque transmitting member, atleast one of said connections being constructed to permit relativemovement between the members connected together thereby in a directionlongitudinally of disengaging member, and whereby the engine unit mayoscillate relative to the frame structure.

l'tOLLAND S. 'I'ROTI'.

